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Ghogha Jain Tirth
At a distance of 21 km from Bhavnagar, is situated port Ghoga. There is, in the Ghogha town, a black-coloured image of Shri Navakhanda Parshvanath Bhagavan in a vast temple. It is 91 cm in height and in Padmasana posture. It was taken out, from a well in the Vadava village in ancient times.
It is said that during an invasion by muslims, the idol was broken into nine pieces. The Shravakas of the village won the favour of the ruling deities and preserved the pieces in Lapasi (of wheat). As a result, the idol came to the original shape, but with permanent marks at nine spots. Even today these marks are visible. Devotees therefore know it by the name of Prabhu Navakhanda Parshvanath.
The structure of the temple is majestic and vast; its quadrangle is expansive. Now, because of four other temples on the complex, its appearance is like that of a peak. The Anjanashalaka of this temple was performed in V.S. 1168 (1111 CE) at the auspicious hands of Shri Mahendrasurishvaraji. Shreshthi Veera and Purna took out a Sangha from here to Shri Shatrunjaya and Girnar in the august presence of Acharya Shri Jinendrasurishvaraji in 1430. It is thus proved that this tirtha is earlier than the 12th century and the idol in it is older than it. There is a cluster of typically artistic and ancient idols of five-metals in the temple. In its vicinity there is the temple of Neminath Bhagavan in which are installed a number of idols found from underground.
Nereby there is a beautiful samava-sarana made of metal and of the beginning of the 16th century. In the vicinity of the main temple there are temples of Shri Suvidhinath Bhagavan and Shri Shantinath Bhagavan. There are also two other Jina temples in the village.
Shri Navkhanda Parswanth Jain Derasar Ghogha Parshvanatha Sheth Kala Mithani Pedhi,
Shri Navkhanda Parswanth Jain Derasar,
P.O. Ghogha - 364110, District Bhavnagar
Gujarat, India0278 282335